Brassieres



July 8, 1958 v, 1 BECKER 2,842,137

BRAssIEREs Filed June 22, 1956 INVENTOR. V|ctor LBecker BY *A United States Patent ()f BRASSIERES Victor I. Becker, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 22, 1956, Serial No. 593,169

1 Claim. (Cl. 12S- 460) 2,842,137 Patented July 8, 1958 to the expansible band 4 at the end of the side ap 1, and these hooks are adapted for selective engagement with any pair of the eyelets 5 provided in the tab 6 secured at the end of the side flap 2. The breast cups are respectively indicated at 7 and 8 and are of similar construction. Each cup is provided with an outer member 9 formed of sections joined by the cross seam 10. Each outer member has its lower edge defined by the arcuate seaming 30, which seaming starts and ends at the top edge of the garment. At its upper end'11 each outer cup section 9 is connected to the spaced-apart ends of a pair of suspension straps indicated respectively at 12 and 13. Each of these straps is in the form -of a loop member, and both loop members are freely slidable through a loop-shaped fastener or buckle 14 of known construction. As shown in Fig. 3, both of the looped straps 12 and 13 have their opposite ends attached in overlying position, by stitching 15 to the upper ends of overlapped parts of the fabric segments 16 and 17 which form the inner cup member. The upper edge of the outer cup member 9 is situated slightly below the upper ends of the cup member and an inner cup member situated behind the same, the inner member Vbeing of a forked or inverted U-shape, thus dening an aperture open at its lower end. In the present invention, inner and outer cup members are also provided, but lesser restriction to expansion under breast pressure is the result, due to the fact that the inner member of this invention is composed of two independent segments which overlap or cross one another at their upper ends. While this arrangement provides adequate support for the inner and outer sides of the breast in the manner of the vbrassiere of the above-mentioned application, it places less expansive restriction on the breast opening defined by the inner cup member, in shaping and supporting the breast.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a brassiere which will be substantially self-adjusting; which will enable the cups to adjust themselves independently to various bust contours; which will provide a balanced distribution of bust uplift, while being worn with comfort and without the constriction often applied by an improperly-fitting brassiere.

In a brassiere of this character there is therefore provided the combination of an inner cup member composed of two segments overlapped or crossed in the upper area of the cup and which segments define a bust opening capable of adjusting itself to various bust contours to thus support the bust and restrain the same from undesirable lateral spread and without the application of uncomfortable pressure or constriction.

With these, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

Fig. l is a front elevational view, with some parts fragmentarily shown, of a brassiere constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of one-halt` of the brassiere, looking at the rear side thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially' on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, but showing the suspension straps and shoulder straps attached.

Referring to the drawing, the body of the brassiere includes the two sides or tlap sections 1 and 2 of known fabric construction, and which are adapted to be detachably united at the rear when the garment is worn, by a conventional hook-and-eye or other equivalent connection. In the garment shown, the hooks 3 are attached overlapped parts of the segments 16 and 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that the top of the outer member 10 is coupled to the top of the inner cup member, composed of the parts 16 nd 17, by means of a double loop composed of the two straps 12 and 13 and that these straps are freely slidable through the fastener or buckle 14. Through this arrangement, the inner and outer cup elements are free to adjust themselves to breast contour without requiring manual adjustments.

By reference toFig. 2, the shape of the two segments 16 and 17 which make up the inner breast cup will be noted. The inner edge 19 of each of these segments is curved substantially as shown and the two segments are so shaped that they co-operate in the formation of a breast opening 20 which is self-conformatory to breast contour. At their lower ends the two segments are spaced apart, and the side edges of these segments are engaged in the arcuate seaming 30. The opening 211i, defined by the spaced edges 19 of the segments, is relatively wide at the bottom and tapers to the apex 31 which defines the upper end of said opening. ln the upper area of the cup, the segments 16 and 17 are in overlapped or crossed relation, substantially as shown at 21, and the edge seeming and reinforcement 22 extending along the top edges of these segments maintains these parts of the inner cup segments in such overlaped relation. Each of the fasteners or buckles 14 adjustably accepts the shoulder strap 23 of the conventional form.

Through the construction described, the taperedopere ings 20 defined by the two segments 16 and 17 of the inner cup member terminate at their lower ends at the bottom -of the cup and substantially at the opposite ends 24 and 25 of an expansible insert 26. This arrangement is such that thecup issmoothly but elastically held in close conformity to the lbreast while allowing suiiicient spread or expansion yofthe opening 2G to cause it to lit' about the bust yet Without the application of undue pressure on it. tween the breast cups is a triangulated inelastic insert E?.

The described construction enables the two-segment inner cup member to engage about those portions of the bust which require support, particularly to prevent lateral spread, and to apply the required restraint on the breast to gently but rrnly, and almost automatically, prevent breast flattening and resultant lateralspread. There is thus a tendency to shape the breasts, without completely encircling them with an aperture likely to constrict and cause discomfort to the wearer, particularly when an attempt is made to wear a brassiere of too small a size. The overlap of the inner cup segments at the top is such In the area between these inserts 25 and bethat enlargement of the openings 20 while resisted to some extent, is nevertheless permitted to-a degree to avoidthe application of eonstricting pressure on the breasts. The suspension means for the inner and outer cup elements is such that each bust cup is independently ndjustable, with the-adjustment, due to the slidable suspension straps, performed vto meet the contours of vthe wearer.

Having described an embodiment of the invention, itis obvious that the seme is not to be restricted thereto, but is bread enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claim.

What l claim is:

A brassiere having a breast cup composed of inner and outer fabric sections, the outer section being of a size and shape enabling it to cover the breast and having `an upper edge terminating slightly below the upper edge of the inner section, said outer section having a lower edge defined by seeming extending on a curved line, the inner section being lcomposed of a pair of similar, separate segments, each segment having an edge engaged in the curved line seaming and having a top edge defining the `upper -limit of the breast cup, each of said segments also having an outer free edge, said free edges co-operating in the formation of a tapered opening between the segments, the free edges defining said opening being spaced apart to provide the widest part of said opening at the curved line seaming, the segments having upper portions disposed in overlapped relation by seaming extending only along the upper edges of the segments, the extent of overlap of the segments being sucient to permit of expension of the opening under breast pressure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

